


Zero Degrees Celsius

by Luna (l_una)



Category: Fate/stay night & Related Fandoms, Fate/stay night (Visual Novel), Fate/stay night - All Media Types
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Eve, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-26
Updated: 2020-12-26
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:35:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 17,166
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28328364
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/l_una/pseuds/Luna
Summary: It was a cold, wintry December. People frantically scattered the streets, looking for the perfect gift all over again. Christmas trees were taken out of hibernation and decorated to perfection, minus the star. Light snow littered the asphalt, meeting an unfortunate fate due to the temperature difference. Two step-siblings bickered over what seemed to them a fate-of-the-world defining issue, though, it was simply over who placed the star atop their tree. It was a December no different from the last.
Relationships: Illyasviel von Einzbern/Emiya Shirou
Comments: 1
Kudos: 15





	Zero Degrees Celsius

Zero Degrees Celsius

It was a cold, wintry December. People frantically scattered the streets, looking for the perfect gift all over again. 

Christmas trees were taken out of hibernation and decorated to perfection, minus the star. Light snow littered the asphalt, meeting an unfortunate fate due to the temperature difference.

Two step-siblings bickered over what seemed to them a fate-of-the-world defining issue, though, it was simply over who placed the star atop their tree. It was a December no different from the last.

⸺

Shirou extended his arms, making a fruitless attempt to stave off his tiredness. He had a day filled to the brim with tasks of all shapes and sizes, all with the common goal of preparing the Emiya residence for the world’s favorite holiday.

 _...Well, I guess it’s time to get moving._ He reluctantly told himself, putting the ever-smallest amount of energy necessary to raise himself from the futon. According to his newly bought phone, there were only a few days left until Christmas. And for some inexplicable reason, the Emiya residence was almost always filled to the brim with people.

Though, on the contrary, the abnormality was the fact that nobody was around. After gaining enough willpower to propel himself out of his bed, he searched around the various corridors and hallways. There wasn’t a single sound audible throughout the entire house, aside from Shirou’s pondered footsteps.

It wasn’t particularly early in the day, but it wasn’t late either. Shirou thought to himself, _Well, I’m not complaining._ It’s not as if the people that surrounded him were a bother (most of the time), he just needed peace to remain focused for the long day ahead of him.

With this, he initiated his morning routine.

 _I’m really just a housewife, Huh_. He thought, making sure not a tooth in his mouth went unbrushed. It wasn’t a problem for him. After all, he wasn’t the type to complain about being selfless. So, just as routinely as he cleaned his body, he cooked himself a quick meal. 

“...Food probably shouldn’t be an afterthought.” 

There were never enough hours in a day to complete every task, but there was also never enough food in the kitchen to feed… Three? Four? Five mouths?

Shirou wasn’t sure who he counted as “living” within the home, as there were too many rooms, and more importantly, too many variable factors regarding who lived there, and who didn’t. There were a few mainstay individuals that weren’t up for debate. Though, there undoubtedly was a silver-haired woman or two that dropped by whenever they pleased, acting as if they owned the place. And by inheritance rules, maybe one of them did own a portion of it, right?

_Wait. Is the second one’s hair silver though? Isn’t it a bit more cream-colored?_

Regardless, Law, inheritance rules, and most _definitely_ hair color specifications were none of Shirou’s strong points. He was fine with this, though. More importantly, where was he again?

_Oh yeah, the near-empty fridge._

There was only enough food left in the refrigerator for Shirou’s quick energy boost, which was by no means accounting for the plethora of people that would enter the refrigerator as they pleased. He didn’t particularly have any issue with this but made a mental note about getting even _more_ food for the upcoming festivity.

He hastily scarfed down his meal, feeling a bit rejuvenated from the grogginess he awoke to. _Energy keeps the world flowing._ He thought, rotating his shoulders to get his blood circulating.

“Now, what to do first…” He contemplated, as he wrote down all the food he needed onto a ‘To-Do’ list.

_Perhaps Sakura could go to town and get those for me. That’d be nice._

_‘ Sakura,_

_I hope you’re having a great time with Tohsaka and the others, take your time and stay safe. But you know how tomorrow’s Christmas? I forgot to stock up the refrigerator... I’d deeply appreciate it if you could pick up a few things on your way home._

_Thanks,_

_Shirou ’_

He shot a quick text to the other housewife of the Emiya household, trying to remember something he couldn’t. He turned on the TV to get a look at the weather forecast.

_Bzzt..._

_‘-peratures around two degrees Celsius. There’s a decent chance of the snow continuing until late tomorrow-’_

_Bzzt..._

He turned off the TV, understanding that the weather wasn’t going to be much different from yesterday. _That’s an interesting temperature though, it’s pretty cold. I wonder if I could see my breath if I went out..._

At this point, he knew he was procrastinating to some degree.

_It’s not as if Christmas is tomorrow, right? I can take it easy._

_Wait. It is tomorrow._

His sluggish movements turned into that of a March hare.

 _How could I be so foolish!?_ He plugged in the rechargeable kotatsu, rapidly dusting off every appliance, surface, even uneaten fruit within his line of sight.

 _None will escape me._ As he replaced the batteries in the brand-new TV remote for the overly-priced cable subscription Rider secretly signed them up for, immediately placing the remote in a perfectly symmetrical state afterward. He did this, despite turning on that same TV with that same remote seconds beforehand.

 _They never stood a chance._ He aggressively swept the hallways, lapping up the near-imperceivable collections of dirt. It had only been four days since Shirou last swept these same hallways, and there was no distinct visual difference between twenty minutes ago, and the now spick-and-spanned hallways he finished sweeping.

 _How could I miss this!?_ He extended his arm far past its capacity, grasping at what seemed to him, the defining factor between an excellent Christmas party, and a failure he alone would bear the burden of. The room that Tohsaka occupied during her times of refuge had a balled-up piece of paper under the bed. Despite Shirou’s morbid curiosity as to what the unmutilated paper read, he remembered the last time he read a note from Tohsaka.

_Ughh…_

He shivered, throwing the balled-up piece of paper to the bottom of the trash bag, never to be seen again by human eyes. Shirou was an advocate for recycling, but this specific piece of paper was not something that would bless the world were it back in circulation.

⸺

 _Well, I guess that’s about all I can do for now._ Surprised at how quickly he cleaned the local hotel he wasn’t being paid for, Shirou could only think about what _else_ he could do. His brain darted around many ideas, from the fact there seemed to be a gap in his memory starting from around four days ago, to the formless echo of a thought he seemingly could not remember. He decided to focus on what was tangibly repairable at the moment, that being the looming problem of the empty fridge.

After wrapping a scarf around his neck, he made his way to the door, marveling at the spotless hallways. Despite being in the house for most of the day, it was beautiful outside. Small specs of snow fell to the ground, melting soon after they reached their final destination. Fuyuki was a city very adept to the cold, the streets rambunctious as ever.

_Or maybe people are out because it’s... Oh, yeah. Christmas Eve. I think my phone was a bit off..._

Just as Shirou was midway through a text to the other housewife notifying her that he’d go and get the food himself, a boisterous woman made her way through the door.

“Shirou! Look at this!”

His eyes met hers, but unfortunately, his enthusiasm was only a fraction of the human cauldron he faced. The person that barged through the door, neither knocking nor asking, was that of a fierce feline... But she wasn’t a lion.

“Fuji-nee, what did I tell you about coming in unannounced?” He made a sigh of loathing, knowing whatever structure he had for the rest of his day was _gone._

“Whatever do you mean, Shirou? Didn’t you hear the door unlocking?”

 _That’s not what I meant._ They’d recently discussed her entering habits, but he decided not to spark a dead fire.

“...What’s with the box? Fuji-nee, didn’t I tell you not to bring in wild game?”

His eyes were fixated on the featureless box she carried... No, incrementally sled behind her.

“Very — _ssss—_ funny — _sss—_ Shirou, — _ssss—_ now, could you help me get this thing in!?”

“Sure, but- What _is_ this thing you’re referring to?”

She snickered a devious laugh, though Shirou was unsure whether the laughter incited fear or interest within him. “Well, we’ll just have to find out and see, won’t we?” Said the unreadable woman.

⸺

_Ssss… Sss… Ssss…_

Shirou pushed the box forward, while Taiga pulled toward the interior of the house. It wasn’t much of a problem once they lifted it past the dreaded single step. After that, it was smooth sailing.

He wondered how Taiga managed to get the human-sized box to his home. After feeling the weight of the box, along with seeing the creased center, he finally made the connection.

_It isn’t really… that heavy, honestly. But that poses another question._

“You… You rode over here with a one-hundred-fifty centimeter long box roped atop that tiny scooter!?” He pushed.

“Well, how else could I have gotten it over here? Why are _you_ asking questions you already know the answers to? Now, put some pep in your step! Blitzkrieg!” She pulled, a bit faster than him.

He understood how ridiculous that would seem to the average person, though he was constantly reminded that this wasn’t the average person he was dealing with. She was _the_ Tiger of Fuyuki. Regardless, Shirou no longer worried about how she got this mysteriously tall box of wonder into his house, he was now just trying to keep up with her. She was pulling the box, which was much easier to do than pushing it. Her pace was almost twice his, also indicative of her excitement compared to Shirou’s. But with excitement comes uneasiness, and with uneasiness, comes the fall.

_Uh-oh._

The fall of one person, at least.

_Slam!_

Surprisingly, he wasn’t in pain. Taiga’s stare of bewilderment and concern was enough to counterbalance it. His chin perpendicular to the floor, staring at not one, but two boxes of wonder, he was unsure of what this moment in his life meant.

Shirou dusted himself off, placing his hand out to reassure the worried Taiga that he was just fine. _She’s crazy, but she cares too._ They hurriedly relocated the box to the living room, disregarding the fact that the door may or may not have been locked back.

_I’ll get it later, nobody would come through the door so soon. The bounded field is there for a reason._

Taiga ran to the kitchen, grabbing a knife that would be perfect for carving up large portions of meat. There was a deranged, excited look in her eye, like that of a bloodthirsty vampire.

“Fuji-nee, if the thing in this box is or _was_ alive, I’m confiscating your key to the house.” _And maybe calling the police too._

“Shirou… Come now, you know I’d never do anything like that. Why would your _Onee-chan_ ever put you in danger?”

He worriedly stared at the tool of destruction between her fingers.

Unfortunately, he couldn’t say whether that was true. She hadn’t ever brought any wild animals into the house (dead or alive), but it wasn’t outside of the realm of possibility.

The way she handled the knife wasn’t making Shirou anymore comfortable though.

_Eh, we needed something special to eat for Christmas anyway._

_Stab!_ Taiga viciously disassembled the box, showing no remorse whatsoever for what was beneath the cardboard. 

Shirou winced in recoil at her violent movements. “Fuji-nee, why not just... Go along the tape?”

She completely ignored him. Shirou decided to let the chips fall where they may. Interrupting a predator and its prey only brought on trouble.

_Green...? What is that? Is that hair?_

At that point, Shirou refused to play Taiga’s game any longer.

“Hey, Shirou! I’m not done unboxing it yet! Wait-“

He got up from his comfortable position and ripped open the box.

It was covered in small, green, hair-like appendages. It was in several pieces, and many were hastily bound together with rubber-bands. There were upwards of seventeen individual parts, with no clear indication of how they looked prior to _the event_. With what looked to be its spine separated into two, slightly over three-foot-long pieces, it wasn’t something mortal eyes were meant to see in its primal form. Looking at it from the half-opened box, it was… indecipherable. There was no doubt about it, it most definitely wasn’t human.

⸺

Something this alien only could’ve been-

“A disassembled Christmas tree!?”

“Way to ruin the surprise Shirou, but Yes!”

The Emiya residence hadn’t put up a Christmas tree in well over six years, since the death of the man who owned the property.

“Fuji-nee, you know how I feel about things like this…”

“I know, I know. But it’s gotten so lively around here recently, it would be a shame not to put up such a beautiful tree!”

_How is this beautiful? I guess we’d need to put it together, but… It causes so much unnecessary clutter. And it looks kinda cheap too..._

Shirou told himself the reason a Christmas tree hadn’t been seen in his house was due to its redundancy, alongside how much trouble it was to put up and take down every year. He had no problem with having a small Christmas party, but this was a bit much for him.

But he was lying. It was no coincidence that the death of his father gave him new, inexplicable reasons not to put up a Christmas tree. He and Taiga were certainly a family, but he lost the motivation to care for such a thing after Kiritsugu died.

Every time Taiga brought up the idea of putting up a tree, Shirou always had a different reason why they shouldn’t. They were locked in battle for three years regarding this topic, though Taiga eventually settled on watching the beauty of the tree at the Fujimura house. It was never the same. Kiritsugu brought in a newly purchased tree, Taiga was in charge of wrapping the lights, and Shirou embellished beautiful bells and decorations across every branch. The way the three of them put together the tree, it could never be replaced. Shirou was well aware of this, and this was why he vehemently refused Taiga’s request every time she brought it up following Kiritsugu’s death.

“Do you really think this is going to be crucial to the party?”

She shook her head so aggressively, Shirou thought it might just roll off.

_Pointless question, huh._

“Everything is different this year, you know, Shirou? It would be such a waste for such a high-traffic brothel not to have a Christmas tree!”

 _What did she call my house!?_ Shirou was well aware of what his house had become, but even he felt that was a bit far.

“I mean, even Illya seems to love this season right? I’m sure she’d love something like this!” 

“Hmm, You’re probably right about that,” he said, reluctantly boarding Taiga’s wild cruise.

“ _Riiiiight?_ It’s been a long time, Shirou! Let’s liven up the house like never before!” 

She beamed an undeniable smile to him, bright as the eternal sun. This was something Taiga refused to back down on. New life had reestablished itself in the Emiya household, and Shirou knew that. There was no need to hold onto what was long-lost.

Shirou sighed a deep exhale. “Alright, Alright. You’re handling most of it though.”

Taiga began sorting the pieces by their elevation, preparing to assemble the constructible tree. Shirou wondered about the specifications of the tree, regarding the measurements and such. It had been a long time since they’d last put one up, and the living room’s layout had changed ever-so-slightly.

As Shirou made space for the tree in the far corner of the room, he thought about the one, very specific name that Taiga brought up during their conversation. The name struck endearment, happiness, excitement, but above all, fear within him. He wasn’t sure why her name would make him feel fear at this point in their relationship, despite their ‘altercations’ in the past. She had an unpredictable nature, but Shirou didn’t fear for his life. This was a subdivision of fear, physically characterized by the pit felt in one’s stomach. It was the feeling of remembering what one forgot, intentional or not.

_Oh no._

Adrenaline and cortisol flowing through his blood, he remembered what he had forgotten. _How could I forget?_ Putting a hold on the living room rearrangements, he hurriedly dashed over to the hallway to make up for his mistake. There was only one person to be called, and he needed to do it quickly.

⸺

_Four days earlier..._

It was yet another “normal” day in Emiya Shirou’s life. It wasn’t particularly riveting, but it wasn’t boring either. He cleaned, he cooked, he listened to the dreamlike wishes of a Christmas honeymoon from the girl a bit older than him over the phone, nothing out of the ordinary.

“Illya,” he dejectedly called her name, having to remind her of the obvious.

“What is it, Shirou~?” She flirted.

“You do understand that honeymoons are for _married_ couples, right?”

“ **SO WHAT, SHIROU? WE’RE BASICALLY MARR-** ” Illya screamed, without a care in the world for Shirou’s ear that was so closely glued to the phone.

He distanced the phone from his face as he said the sarcastic retort, for he knew it wouldn’t be received well. He did this, but also made the prerequisite of hovering his thumb over the HOLD button. He was somewhat familiar with her... tendencies.

Nonetheless, her reaction was certainly merited. It was her favorite time of the year, and Shirou continued to fall through on their plans. 

_‘Tomorrow we can-’_

Two weeks ago.

 _‘I’ll be there-’_

Eleven days ago.

 _‘Wait, that was today?’_

One week ago.

Their repeatedly failed plans flashed through her mind, fueling the unending rage that only her humble maids heard.

It’s not as if he didn’t want to do anything special with his beloved, he just felt obligated to give back to the other family that helped around his house year-round. Like the indecisive, self-sacrificial man he was, he decided to propose a compromise. A compromise was made, though he was also aware of who he was debating with. Winning wasn’t likely, so this was a compromise very skewed in her favor. In reality, it would benefit them both.

After waiting a few more seconds for his perfectly calculated Illya-chewing-out-Shirou-rant timer to align with the amount of time she’d been on hold, he clicked the button again.

“- **DIOT!** ”

_Damn, I was off a bit._

“Illya, hear me out, please. I promise I’ll make up for this.”

“Hmph. You said that last time.”

“I’m sorry, Okay? Hear me out, please. We could go down to Shinto on Christmas Eve, and we’ll view the Christmas trees alongside the snow, hot chocolate, and taiyaki in hand. Also, I’ll be all yours during New Years’. You’ll have to come up with those plans, but I’ll go along with them no matter what they are. Does that sound fine?”

She delayed her response to the point of seeming like the phone broke up, but Shirou knew she was still there. Truthfully, she was just attempting to stifle her inexplicable noises of happiness. It’s not as if they had never been on a date before, but Illya loved the scenery of the winter Fuyuki, it was a very special time for her. 

After calming down, a terrifying thought crossed her mind. She loved Shirou, but she _also_ knew who she was speaking to. She needed to check something.

“ _...of us?_ ” she murmured.

“Illya, what’d you say? I couldn’t really hear you.”

“ _Sigh,_ open your ears, Shirou. Perhaps I should buy you a new phone for Christmas.”

While she was correct about Shirou’s home phone not matching with the times, they both knew he didn’t care for such things.

After yet another long-as-sin pause, she attempted her question again.

“I _saaaid_... will it be _just the two of us_?”

He didn’t hear her, yet again. Shirou was a somewhat simple-minded individual, but he wasn’t stupid. He understood Illya enough, along with his own mistakes regarding their dates, to use a few context clues to fill out everything after ‘ _will it be_ ’. In that same light, he was also taking a shot in the dark. He didn’t want to risk her wrath by asking what she said. Again.

“But of course, Illya. I’ll make sure of that.” He wasn’t sure if he responded properly, but the squeal following abrupt silence on the other end of the phone may have been indicative of him being correct.

Illya was both the most honest and dishonest person in Shirou’s life. The scale of this varied from minute lies, such as her acting as if Shirou’s proposed Christmas date didn’t elate her beyond her wildest dreams, to catastrophic honesty, such as the time she accidentally revealed their relationship to Taiga.

Regardless, Illya, for the second time during the conversation, put on the front of being unaffected by the one thing she truly wanted out of him. Her cheeks flushing a vermilion red, she vigorously pumped her right arm into the air, making a small (read: big) motion of victory.

After regaining her composure, along with a few exaggerated clears of her throat, she replied with “I’ll consider going along with your plans, Shirou. If you’ll follow through with them, that is.”

The holidays were always a busy time for the Emiya residence, but he was willing to give up some time for Illya.

_Christmas isn’t for another week-ish, right? I don’t need to start preparing yet. This is more important. A dirty dish or two won’t ruin anybody’s Christmas, I can be Illya’s for a day._

“You have my word. I can’t say anything that’ll make you believe me, but just let me prove it to you, Illya.” He was painfully aware of the responsibilities that he took upon himself during times like this, but he wasn’t going to neglect the one person who didn’t deserve it.

“You do understand what’ll happen if you tell me that ‘something came up’ again, right, _Onii-chan?_ ” She was a woman of many faces and façades, but Shirou knew she probably wasn’t playing around either.

 _She’s kinda evil._ He thought to himself, unsure whether to address that.

“I’m not really sure, but you won’t have to worry about it. I’ll call you at 10 AM sharp, Okay?”

“-Kayyy. Have something nice on. Or do you need me to pick something out for you? Want me to drive?” She giggled, knowing that it’s quite a long walk from Fuyuki to her castle.

_Why do I feel like an ant speaking to this mountain of a little-big sister? I can’t agree with any of that..._

“That won’t be necessary, thank you very much. I’ll get over there somehow. I’ll see you then, Illya.”

“Right. Don’t forget-”

 _Beep._ He hung up the phone a bit prematurely, though it wasn’t intentional. He was excited, and even a bit confident about the date he had come up with for once.

_I’ll make it up to her, I swear to him. For her too, I won’t mess this up._

⸺

_Fuck._

It wasn’t 10 AM, it was 3 PM. He had vastly overestimated the amount of time he had between now and four days ago. The preparations for the Christmas party took longer than he thought they would, and more importantly, Shirou was quite forgetful at the moment.

He now recalled why nobody was home when he woke up. He specifically made sure that nobody would be around to bother him and Illya’s premarital honeymoon (that didn’t involve any vacation, mind you).

In the ideal world, he cleaned up the entire house, bought food, and had already prepared the house for the party _yesterday_. His error was very human, but the punishment he was soon to receive wouldn’t be.

The one unpredictable factor in his plan to air out the house was Taiga, and now she was going to be a contributor to his funeral.

An impossible image of a slightly more cynical Illya, alongside a more teacher-like Taiga dressed in black suits flashed through his mind, his casket resting on their shoulders.

_Why are they dancing?_

_..._

_Never mind that, where was I!?_

_The phone_ , he thought. He sprinted out of the living room, and straight to the hallway towards his home phone. If he couldn’t be on time for their date, he wanted to at least ensure that she knew he didn’t forget.

_**Five meters.** _

_She’ll understand if I call her first, right?_

_**Four meters.**_

_I mean, I’m human. Everybody’s human. We all forget things._

_**Three-** _

_I mean, Illya’s forgotten things before too, right?_

_**Two-** _

_I think..._

_**One-** _

_Maybe she forgot about our date today too, we could just reschedule-_

_Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing!_

_That’s odd_ , he thought. _Why is **my** phone ringing, wasn’t I about to call Illya?_

_Oh._

His pupils dilated. The pit of fear in his stomach turned into a bottomless trench. There was never a moment in his life in which he feared picking up a mere phone more than now. In fact, this was the absolute pinnacle of fear. To Shirou, there was nothing scarier than this.

_If I survive picking up this phone, not even a heroic spirit will be able to stand head-to-head with me._

The name on the ringing phone read ‘I-l-l-y-a’.

He gulped, reaching his hand out towards the phone at an infinitesimal rate.

His palms drenched with sweat, he gained the courage to grasp the phone.

Like a child whose name was aggressively called by a mother ready to ensue retribution, Shirou knew this was a fate he could not escape.

“...H- Hello?” he whispered, hoping the submissive voice would lessen whatever verbal battering he was soon to receive.

Silence.

“Illya, I know you’re upset with me. Could you at least respond?”

Louder silence.

He was beginning to think that maybe the phone wasn’t connected, or that they broke up.

“Illya?”

He took the phone off of his ear, inspecting it to ensure the wire was still connected.

Just as he almost hit the END button, he heard a familiar, yet dissonant voice.

“You don’t value your life, do you, Shirou?”

He heard what she said, and he fully comprehended that it was meant to be intimidating, reminding him of his failure to uphold his side of their date. On the other hand, he knew she was very serious about what she was saying. It was tinged with a bit of sadness, and a bit of regret.

Shirou was used to the voice that he heard, painfully aware of what it meant. It was a voice lacking intonation, colder than winter snow. He knew she wasn’t going to be happy, but he much preferred her maniacal outbursts compared to her genuine interrogations of his character.

Thinking long and hard about what the question meant, let alone how to answer it, he came to the deduction that she wasn’t just asking him about his life. Illya was asking Shirou if he valued _her_.

“...Of course, I do, Illya. I’m not the brightest sometimes, but-“

“Then **WHY** do you continue to do this, Shirou!?” She shrieked, truly puzzled by his actions.

He wasn’t sure about how to answer. Illya came over on a sporadic basis; they spent time together. He knew their time alone was an entirely different aspect of their relationship, and one they were certainly lacking in.

His mind in a state of disarray, he tried to come up with a solution.

“Illya, I-“

Prepared for the wrath of seven-hundred seventy-seven demons, he spoke his peace.

All of a sudden, a woman who possessed an almost equal amount of demonic power yelled his name with a force he couldn’t ignore.

“ **SHIROUUUUU!! HELP ME WITH THE CHRISTMAS TREE!!** ” Taiga yelped, fearing her life was in danger.

“You couldn’t have asked me that for the twenty minutes I was rearranging the living room!? Why now!?” He shouted, hoping to put the tiger’s plea to a temporary halt.

“...Christmas Tree?” Illya felt a new fire ignite within her.

Shirou heard a still sad, yet strangely invigorated voice on the other side of the phone.

“Illya, that’s what I was trying to tell you. Taiga brought over some eccentric box, it was really mysterious. When we carried it to the living room, I was so scared of it being something _alive_ that I couldn’t sit there and wait for her to unbox it. It ended up being a Christmas tree, and I’ve been preparing the living room for it all day. I’m sorry Illya, it all came upon me early this morning.”

He was lying to some degree, as he had definitely woken up around the time he promised to call her. The beast-like woman only came about multiple hours after he awoke.

“...Illya?”

Shirou had heard a strange beeping on the other side of the phone for a while now but wasn’t sure if the phone had broken up, _again_.

_I’m not running away from this anymore, for any reason whatsoever. We’re going today, no doubt. I’ll call her back, I’m not sure why the phone hung up…_

He called and called again, hearing her cute, yet somewhat uncharacteristic voicemail each time the phone rang indefinitely.

_‘Guten morgen~! I couldn’t get to your call in time, so sorry! I’m just such a busy girl, y’know! Leave a voice message at the tone, -kay~? Hopefully, I can get back to you! And if you’re that certain someone, why not just come over? Fufu, I’ll always be available for you~’_

_*Click*_

Shirou’s entire body shuddered in disbelief. He was intrigued, yet revolted by the message.

_Why does her voicemail message sound so… Unprofessional? No… She’s so rich, I’d probably inherit **her** name were we to get married. She has no need for employment, so what is it? Childish? Seductive? Both?_

He wasn’t able to find the proper descriptor for her tone of voice.

 _Wouldn’t that be embarrassing to say?_ He thought. Once again, he had forgotten what Illya cared about. She wasn’t a person affected nor bothered by the thoughts and perceptions of others, she was an independent woman who only invested her emotions in those that mattered to her. For better or worse, this didn’t pertain to many people.

_Well… Why would Illya say ‘Good morning’ for a voicemail message? Isn’t it 3 PM?_

Shirou did not understand the concept of custom voicemail messages, as his was as default as the day his father had bought the phone.

Even on his new phone, he still had the default voicemail message.

_And the last words she said… Ugh..._

His entire body shivered, albeit in a _much_ different manner than the curses of hell he recalled from the note Rin had written to him so long ago.

 _She’s dangerous._ He had almost forgotten, not particularly opposed to the feeling.

**“SHIROUUU! THIS THING IS ALIVE!!”**

Forgetting about the brawl that was occurring in the living room, he decided to let sleeping dogs lie. He knew he had made yet another mistake, but he didn’t want to harass Illya if she needed some time alone.

⸺

_Stupid Shirou… Why does he never invite me?_

In a castle inhabited only by three, there was one distraught winter princess lying alone in her bed. She laid on her abdomen, hugging a combination of pillows and stuffed animals.

“Would _you_ invite me over if you were putting up a Christmas tree?” Her legs restlessly flying through the air, she hoped that no one would hear the answerless question.

Illya wasn’t speaking to anybody, in particular, just one among her collection of soulless companions. _Fufufu, that could be changed. He’d never miss a day with me then._ Illya stared deeply into the pitch-black glass eyes of her favorite stuffed animal. Making a devilish grin, she thought about the person she’d like to try it on most.

Before sinking any further into her dark delusions, she heard a faint, yet concerned knock at her door.

“Who’s there?” She already knew the answer to her question, but asked anyway.

“Your loyal maid Sella, milady. I came to check on you.”

 _Oh, here we go again._ Illya generally had civil conversations with Shirou over the phone, but on the off chance she raised her voice, Sella always came to check on her. Unfortunately, she always had an ulterior motive.

“Come in.”

There was a deep reluctance to let her in, but Illya hoped to hear something different this time.

“Are you alright, milady?” This was both the beginning, and the end of Sella’s genuity regarding the topic.

She didn’t even turn her head to Sella, as this too, was not something entirely motivated by her concern for Illya’s well-being.

“Yes, Sella. I’m fine. I’m just mad at… stupid Shirou.”

An ever-so-slightly perceivable smile formed across Sella’s face. “Milady, I was unable to hear the latter end of your sentence. What did you say?”

_Sella, you know what I said._

After glaring at Sella out of the corner of her eye, she took the hint. She’d knocked on Illya’s door many times after hearing her ear-splitting screams of Shirou’s name. The conversation, without fail, always ended in Sella reminding Illya of how untrustworthy and undeserving of the Einzbern’s treasure Shirou is. Sella’s distorted perception of Shirou, that is.

“Never mind that then. Milady, what happened regarding Emiya-sama?”

“Onii-chan fell through on our plans again, and just happened to be setting up a Christmas tree with Taiga instead.”

She buried her face even deeper into her pillow whilst speaking, as she dreaded the very thought of hearing Sella’s response. It was an embarrassing moment for Illya. The drop of a hat would make her bottled emotions overflow, and she wasn’t looking forward to the inevitable next sentence.

“A Christmas tree? Milady, setting up a Christmas tree could be done at the snap of your fingers. Unlike Emiya-sama’s, it would be a real tree as well.” Sella smirked confidently, elated about her band-aid solution to Illya’s terminal illness of lovesickness.

 _Of course, we could do that, Sella. That’s not why I’m upset though._ She was surprised at how seemingly genuine her maid’s response was.

“Woooow, really? That’s so great, Sella.” But Illya wasn’t sure if Sella was being serious, retorting with her own stab of sarcasm to check.

“Unequivocally, milady. I’ll begin the operation ‘Einzbern Christmas’ project immediately. No Christmas tree will compare in the presence of milady’s-”

“That’s not the problem, Sella.” Illya unapologetically froze Sella in her tracks, because frankly, she wasn’t impressed.

Illya readjusted herself, making proper eye contact with Sella. Neither party was taking the other very seriously.There was a chilling, passive-aggressive look in her eyes, and she wasn’t in the mood for jokes. This didn’t contrast very well with Sella’s smug, yet refined look.

“Then, would you happen to be referring to Emiya-sama’s blunder, milady? The reason I avoided addressing that was because I didn’t believe he deserved a second of our-”

 _Whoosh._ There flew a pillow across the room, straight for Sella’s head.

Sella had already assumed a stance in which she could dodge any incoming physical or projectile attacks before she started her sentence, so she was prepared for this.

She caught the pillow with twice the force with which it was thrown. Illya’s relationship with her maids had grown strong, and there was a mutual love. It was nothing like it was many years ago, which was a relationship built upon hatred and obligation. Despite that, Sella was still very lucky to be catching a pillow right now, rather than something much more lethal.

“Sella, you seem to have forgotten about your position. Need I remind you?”

Illya was a whopping thirty centimeters shorter than Sella, but she still possessed the ego, confidence, and _je ne sais quoi_ befitting of royalty.

Sella silently shook her head, and temporarily lowered herself until Illya signaled her to rise once again.

“Do you have anything to say other than pushing your vendetta against Onii-chan?” At this point, Illya wasn’t having any of it. Shirou wasn’t right, but Sella’s ulterior motives weren’t either.

“Milady, please do understand; I’m always in favor of your best interest.”

Sella fluffed the pillow once again, and gently placed the weapon back to its original place, that being under her mistress’ head.

“ _Sigh_ , really? Sella, please do understand; telling me that my significant other isn’t deserving of a discussion isn’t in _my_ best interest.” Her mockful response was tinged with venom, hoping to paralyze the judgmental step-mother before she pressed any further.

“Then milady, tell me this-”

But this judgmental step-mother was familiar with this queen cobra’s poison.

“Within this month, can you count on one hand how many times we’ve discussed this?”

“Uh-!?”

With this, Illya broke.

“ALRIGHT, I GET IT!”

Illya had reached her mental capacity of Sella nagging for the next week.

“Get out. I’m changing.”

“U- Understood, milady, but for what reason are you changing?” Sella asked this, whilst being shoved by an antsy Illya out of her room.

After escorting the planetary-level threat from her room, Illya pulled the items out from under her bed. Sella would have a heart attack had she saw what was there.

She had gone shopping for a few new outfits with Leysritt a few days ago, preparing for this day. Despite now understanding that the day wouldn’t only belong to her and Shirou, she still wanted to pay him (and his Christmas tree) a visit.

_And Taiga too, I guess._

She slipped her head and arms through the sleeves of the white sweater. It made for a better fit than the first time she put it on.

_Now… The jeans, right?_

She stuck her legs through the jeans but found trouble pulling them up.

_Why are they so much tighter now!? I’ve been eating normally..._

Illya then recalled the crucial piece of advice her other, less talkative maid told her.

_‘Illya. Wash clothes after buying, chemicals on them.’_

Leysritt wasn’t as complete a homunculus as the other, but she was knowledgeable on many things of the outside world nonetheless.

Illya had washed all the new clothes she purchased, and thus, they all shrank just a teensy bit.

_These jeans are tight, but… There!_

After a bit of extra effort and pacing, Illya finally managed to get the new jeans on and buttoned. Grabbing her new brown winter boots that were complementary to the outfit, she was almost ready to set foot on her journey.

_Hmm… Should I bring the jacket? It might be cold at Onii-chan’s house._

The collar of her black jacket popped, and a burgundy, black, and red scarf snug around her neck, Illya took a glance into the mirror. She smiled at the confident, sweater-clad girl looking back at her. It wasn’t anything close to her usual attire, but ‘A new look never hurt anyone’ is what she told herself.

Still staring at herself in the mirror, she placed her thumb and index finger on her chin. Her eyes firmly closed, she began playing different scenarios inside her head about how Shirou would react to her wearing such casual clothing.

_‘Wow, Illya. I didn’t know you were capable of being so modern!’_

_Boooring._

_‘Oh, sorry sorry. I didn’t notice, I’ve been so scatterbrained recently. It looks nice on you, Illya.’_

_Even worse._

_‘Uohh! Color me surprised. A sweater and jeans look really cute on you, Illya!’_

_..._

Illya stared blankly into the mirror, her upturned cheeks flushing a vibrant red.

_What am I doing, I’m supposed to still be mad at him…_

The embarrassing fantasies flashing through her mind were contradictory to the disappointed elder sister’s attitude she’d been giving Shirou for the past few days.

_Agh, what am I doing!? I need to go!_

She grabbed her keys, closed the door to her room, and ran through the seemingly-endless hallway. On her way out, she encountered the one person she didn’t want to see.

“I’m leaving for a bit, Sella. Don’t harass Liz too much while I’m gone. And if you say a word about what I’m wearing, I’ll k-... ignore you.”

“Milady, what are you wear- _—Cough—_ where are you going?”

Flashing a beautiful, yet determined smile, she opened the door of her car.

“Where do you think, Sella?”

⸺

It had been around an hour since Shirou had gotten off the phone with Illya, and he was still expecting a callback.

_I hope she’s doing alright. For some reason, I have my hands full right now…_

“Shirou, why are we taking everything apart again?”

“Because you didn’t read the instructions, Fuji-nee.”

Shirou removed piece ‘A2’ from slot ‘D5’.

_How did she even mix that up!?_

He made a deep exhale, as this wasn’t where he perceived his afternoon to go _at all_. Taiga already dragged him into a situation that he didn’t particularly care for, but she still went to the lengths of buying the tree. The least he could do was help her assemble it.

“So… Shirou, _this part_ goes _here_ , right?”

Rather than waiting for his affirmation, she inserted the pieces together anyway.

“Ah- Fuji-nee, no, That’s ‘C3’, it doesn’t go into ‘C5’.”

He gently took the pieces from her and properly reassembled them. The branch was now ready to be placed into the side of the tree.

“For a teacher, you don’t like to read directions, do you, Fuji-nee?” Shirou chuckled, marveling at the irony of the situation.

“Oh? Well, I wouldn’t mind if you took over the rest of the construction, Shirou! Have at it!”

Taiga dashed under the kotatsu, temporarily forgetting about both her location and responsibilities.

“Hey, this was YOUR idea. I just decided to help you out.”

Shirou said this, but honestly, he felt compelled by an inexplicable force to assist Taiga. Perhaps it was his way of apologizing for the countless times beforehand he denied her a Christmas tree, or maybe even his genuine desire for one this year.

“Ahhh… Shirouuu… I’m melting… The kotatsuuu...” He considered turning off the kotatsu due to their sudden decrease in productivity, but he understood that they both needed a quick break.

_I will not. I will resist. I won’t succumb. I absolutely won’t get under the kotatsu with... Fuji-nee… Ahhh…_

Shirou was just as human as Taiga was, despite his suspicions.

“Couldn’t... resist… _Hmm_ , Shirouuu?”

“Are you really one to… _Aah..._ point fingers?”

Immersed in pure bliss, their sense of time became distorted. Taiga’s arms spread across the table, while Shirou laid on his back, the both of them had reached rock bottom of their Christmas expedition.

Neither could complain, but they felt as if something was missing.

“Hey, Shirou? Remember earlier when you ran out of the living room?” Taiga attempted to look over the top of the table but failed at making eye contact.

“Uh, yeah. What about it?” Shirou felt the pit in his stomach return.

“What was that about? Who was it? It seemed important.”

Shirou diverted his eyes, thinking of ways to avoid the question. _It WAS important_ , he thought to himself.

“Speaking of that, Fuji-nee, should I make some tea?” Shirou made his daring escape from both the question and the kotatsu.

“Hmm, sure. But, you’re acting suspiciously.”

Taiga began peeling an orange, temporarily sating her ever-growing desire for food.

“Didn’t you waltz into the house with a box you refused to tell me the contents of?”

“So what! It was a Christmas tree!”

Shirou stared into the hellish landscape of the living room, wondering if he could even call _that thing_ a Christmas tree. There were pieces scattered across the floor, and a subpar amount of work done comparative to the effort they put in.

_We need to kick it into overdrive if we want to finish within the next few hours…_

Successfully avoiding Taiga’s interrogation, Shirou felt an immense weight off of his shoulders. He felt terrible about his mistake, but hearing another teacher-like woman scolding him about it wasn’t high on his list of priorities.

“Hey, Fuji-nee, what flavor of tea would you-”

Unfortunately, his moment of peace was short-lived.

Shirou stopped dead in his tracks. He sensed a dark pool of malice crossing the boundary field of his home. For the second time today, his heart rate jumped to nearly twice what it was beforehand. He swallowed the knot of fear in his throat and prepared to face the inevitable. The field wasn’t for warding off intruders, but alerting Shirou of their presence.

_It doesn’t feel like there’s any intent to harm, but it’s not benign either._

“Stay here, Fuji-nee. I need to check on something.”

“Ehhh? Shirou, is this related to earlier?”

He shot a bashful glare at his teacher-guardian, and walked through the sliding doors, toward what seemed to be his final destination.

Shirou could feel Taiga’s eyes burning holes through his spine, but he said nothing.

_I’m not going to die or anything, Fuji-nee. There’s no need to stare at me like it’s a one-way trip._

Shirou felt uncomfortable about the impending doom he was soon to meet but had a newfound confidence. He reached the final stage of grief, acceptance.

Or so, he thought.

_...Did I ever lock the door back?_

The hallway that Shirou had traversed endless times seemed to elongate beyond which was humanly conceivable. Every step was infinitely more difficult than the last. The immobilizing fear in his soul began circulating through his bloodstream, causing him to sweat more than any intense training ever did.

Shirou had only made it halfway through the first hallway. That certainly wasn’t accounting for the ninety-degree turn he’d need to take to the potentially unlocked door.

Disregarding his own fear, Shirou pressed forward. He knew who was at the door, and his fear was just the manifestation of his guilty conscience. If he solved the problem, both his fear and guilt would dissipate.

_It won't be how I planned it at this rate, but this might not be so bad either._

A vision of three people viewing a sparkling Christmas tree under the warmth of the kotatsu flashed through his mind. They all had vastly different personalities, histories, and ties to the very world itself, but they all shared a common connection to one man who was no longer there. Through this, there was a deep, irreplaceable love for one another.

This wasn’t the Christmas “honeymoon” that he promised her, but he felt that it would be a great time regardless.With his vision in mind, he accelerated his pace from a crawl to that of a quick trot.

After what seemed like an eternity, Shirou finally reached the door. Though for some reason, he didn’t feel any presence behind it.

_No, I can’t hesitate any longer. I have to make it up to her, right?_

Shirou opened the door, his front yard empty as it was an hour ago.

_What the hell…_

Shirou stepped into his yard, making a few glances around. Dusk was approaching at an unprecedented rate, and it was no time to be outside. A piercing winter gust sliced through his shirt, as he was unprepared to walk out in such cold weather. Both his mind and body shivered, the fear he felt in the hallway was nothing compared to this. Still unable to find anybody, he made the safe decision of going back inside.

_Yeah, Illya wasn’t here. If she were, why wouldn’t she be at the door? Maybe it was just a hungry raccoon or something… And Fuji-nee’s probably worried, I’ll hurry back._

Shirou closed the door behind him, locking it as fast as possible. October was two months ago, and he wasn’t looking for any scares. He turned his head from the door, beginning his long journey back to the living room. But as soon as he was halfway through the hallway, he recalled that whilst turning his head from the door, there was something in his line of sight that wasn’t there beforehand.

Shirou had looked back many times, but there was something wrong this time. It was quiet behind him, as it should be. But this was a very unique form of silence. It wasn’t just quiet behind him, there was a distinct lack of sound _everywhere_. Shirou couldn’t hear Taiga in the living room, the ambiance from the busy streets outside, nor his own footsteps.

The only sounds occupying Shirou’s ears were the erratic pounds of his heartbeat and _something_ behind him.

_Did somebody enter the house while I was looking outside!?_

His vision darkening, Shirou said a silent final prayer to the man who gave him this life and slowly turned his head around to face the intruder.

_I can’t die here, I have too much unaccomplished. And she’d turn into the person she used to be if I weren’t here, I have to fight._

Shirou activated his magical circuit, prepared to fight if need be.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a humanoid figure in the entryway of his home. A pair of red, gleaming eyes met his.

“AHHH!”

Shirou fell backward, losing all of his previous composure.

“Good Evening, Onii-chan.”

She presented an innocent smile, unbefitting of one who emitted such a murderous aura seconds ago.

“Wait, Illya!? What are you doing here!? Er, not that you can’t be here, but why did I feel so much hostility from you!?”

“I think you know the answer to that question, Onii-chan.”

_She could give Rider a run for her money, glaring at me like that._

“That’s fair. I really am sorry, alright? But how did you get inside? Wasn’t the door locked? Why didn’t you just come in when I opened the door?”

She giggled an evil laugh. “Fufu, I was inside _long_ before you opened the door. You just didn’t notice, how rude!”

_That’s weird. How could she have been inside before I opened the door?_

Of course, Illya wasn’t being serious. She was the Einzbern’s treasure; a homunculus that maintained both her functionality as a grail and her humanity. Selectively diverting an inexperienced magus’ attention was an easy feat for her.

Illya placed a hand on her hip and an upturned wrist against her cheek.

“Hey, Shirou, tell me this.”

“Uh, what is it?”

“ _Why_ does it matter how I came in? You, your home, and all your household belongings belong to me anyway. Are you hiding something?”

“Well, looking at it right now- The living room isn’t something I’d want to show to anybody that isn’t family.”

“Hmph, is that s- so.” Illya’s happiness began leaking through her voice, which was that of a refined young woman until then. Shirou calling her family was very matter of course in his mind, but she felt valued by such a title.

She was glad to see him after a slew of failed attempts, but her undying sense of pride, along with an insatiable thirst to incur retribution, wouldn’t allow her to fully indulge at this moment.

Shirou, regaining his regular heart rate and breathing patterns, finally noticed what was so different about the girl in front of him.

“Illya- that outfit-!”

“...What about it?” She murmured, somewhat embarrassed and confused by his late reaction.

Illya took off her jacket, which allowed Shirou to get a much clearer view of her white figure-hugging sweater. She hated the cold, but just a few steps into the Emiya residence confirmed to her that she came over-prepared. It was much warmer than she presumed it’d be.

Shirou, eyes glued to the girl in front of him, was only further captivated by this. The very idea of the embodiment of opulence, wearing something as casual as a sweater and jeans did not process in his mind. The way the hallway light reflected off of her snow-white sweater, highlighting the subtle, but important parts of her upper body drove him wild.

There was only one word coming to Shirou’s mind, and he had neither the need nor the self-control to hold it back.

“Illya, you look REALLY cute in that! It’s a great look for you.”

“...Is that so? Is that flattery, or your true thoughts, Onii-chan?”

_Don’t call me that while looking so adorable, Illya._

“I mean it, you look adorable in a sweater and jeans, Illya.”

She was unable to maintain her disappointed older sister’s attitude any longer. Eye contact a distant dream, hands clasped behind her back, and her knees grinding against one another, she wasn’t doing a very good job upholding her angered demeanor. Her posture was the very opposite of an angry Illya.

“You’re always cute, but this is a different kind of cute. It’s honestly a bit, um…”

The prey found her chance to become the predator.

“A bit _what_ , Onii-chan? Is there something you don’t like?”

She was a sly devil, taking advantage of his honesty.

“No, that’s not it. It’s just…”

“Then what is it, _Onii-chan_ ~? Please, do tell.”

Illya slowly closed the distance, stalking her prey.

_She’s more than just cute- She’s exposing her body that’s always hidden behind all her frilly clothing. If Fuji-nee weren’t in the other room, I’m not sure how much self-control I’d be able to maintain._

Her fingers lightly danced upon his chest, staring deeply into his eyes. Shirou stared back, his mind in disarray. She gently wrapped her arms around his neck, her cold, but delicate fingertips making his hair stand up. Her minty, warm breath fluttered across his left ear. Illya, on the very tip of her toes, whispered into his ear-

“Hey- Onii-chan, I can’t hear you.”

Shirou was very honest, perhaps even too honest. He and Illya were a bit different in that regard. As close to being consumed by his desire as Shirou was, he still resisted. He knew that if he played into Illya’s provocative games, they wouldn’t make it to Taiga, nor the Christmas tree awaiting them in the living room.

“Illya, you know now’s not the time, right?”

Understanding who was the hunter and hunted was irrelevant. Shirou had an escape route either way.

“ _Sighhh_ , way to ruin the moment. That’s just like you though.” She pulled her arms away, crossing them in an irritated manner.

“Hey, you can’t blame me. We can’t do stuff like that right now, Fuji-nee’s in the other room.”

“And? _Who’s_ fault is it that we’re not alone today?” Illya rolled her eyes, recalling her previous mental burdens.

“I suppose you’re right, but it’s not the end of the world. We’re both still alive, right? We’ll get another chance.”

“Sure.” Illya paid no attention to Shirou’s subpar attempts to mend her open wounds. She simply took off her boots and made her way to the living room.

_She still never answered me on how she came in through a locked door. A potentially locked door, at least._

Shirou, who was very familiar with Illya’s scary side, decided on not repeating a question he’d rather not know the answer to. He walked a bit behind her, still enamored by her new look.

_Why are those jeans so tight?_

⸺

Illya’s socks playfully tapped across the sparkly clean floor, doubling the number of footsteps that Taiga expected to hear upon Shirou’s long-awaited return.

Illya walked through the sliding doors, excited to see the Emiya family’s Christmas tree. She had known Shirou for many things, but a festive person was not one of them.

Staring into the void of disappointment that was the living room, a look of astonishment painted itself across her face.

“Hey, Taiga. What’s going on here?”

Calling her by a name only the worthy were capable of, Illya wanted to understand the cause of such despair.

“Hmmph? MMoh, Mmmya!”

Taiga’s mouth full of orange slices, she greeted Illya nonetheless. Illya placed a hand up, signaling Taiga to complete her meal before greeting her.

“Taiga, finish eating first.”

Taiga was an established, somewhat independent woman. This didn’t stop her from being as improper as she pleased, of course. Swallowing her last bit of orange slice and complementing it with some water, Taiga was ready to welcome her partner-in-crime. Taiga undoubtedly felt this way, but Illya reciprocating her feelings depended on the phase of the moon.

“Illya, that sweater is cute! Why don’t you get out of the princess clothes sometimes? This is refreshing!” 

“Princess clothes? Those are royal garments, befitting of the Einzbern’s heir. I’d rather come dressed in formal attire than that terrible striped shirt you’re glued to. Let it go, Taiga. It’s been years.”

_You shouldn’t have said that, Illya._

“WHHAAAT!? This is part of my Fujimura legacy, my creed, my identity! You hear that, brat!? I’d never let it go! It picked me, not the other way around!”

“I’m sure, I’m sure. You sound like an old lady, Taiga. Are you _sure_ you’re twenty-”

“Shut up! At least I look my age!”

Shirou listened in on the discordant duo’s banter, but he said nothing. This was their usual jest, and interfering would be akin to jumping between a car crash. If it were to save either of them, he’d gladly interrupt a car crash, but he simply tuned out, wondering how they could get the Christmas tree put together on time.

Like paramedics arriving at the scene of a road rage incident, their conversation’s intensity slowly began to de-escalate. Shirou was almost ready to propose his plan for the tree when Illya decided to unearth a buried hatchet.

“So, Taiga. Can you explain to me why the Christmas tree looks like such a mess?”

Taiga silently shook her head, nodding to Shirou to answer the question.

“Fuji-nee decided to throw away the instruction manual for a Christmas tree she’s never constructed.”

“Ah. I’m not surprised,” said Illya, dejectedly looking at the source of the problem.

“I already said I’m sorry!” Taiga minimized herself, wanting to disappear for the time being.

Shirou looked at the new party member, her eyes meeting his.

“It’s alright, Fuji-nee. We’ve got an additional pair of hands, we’ll all figure it out. Right, Illya?”

She narrowed her gaze towards Shirou, her mouth forming a smooth parabola.

“Well, if you ask like that, I suppose I could oblige. The pleasure is mine, Onii-chan.”

Illya placed her right foot a bit behind her left, lowering her body. Skirt or jeans, Illya always retained her regality. A curtsy was the perfect way to shift the tone.

“Uohh…” said Taiga, lightly clapping her hands. She was impressed by Illya’s sudden shift in formality. Shirou’s hands soon followed. Illya owed both of them a proper greeting.

Shirou finished the tea that he was preparing, along with some hot chocolate for Illya. He brought the tray to the kotatsu, where they discussed their gameplan from hereon.

The three of them looked at one another, laughter aplenty. A finished, beautifully decorated Christmas tree was their goal. But the journey there was all the more important.

⸺

Shirou, Taiga, and Illya were hard at work. They hadn’t a moment to spare, because the day was nearly gone. The Christmas tree was halfway done, Illya’s assistance and organization had kicked them into an entirely new gear.

“Hey, Illyaaa! Can’t we take a break?”

Taiga wasn’t physically tired, but she was becoming mentally fatigued. Even as an English teacher with many responsibilities, she still had breaks in between.

“Taiga, why are you asking me? Oh, and the answer to that is no. We just had tea thirty minutes ago, stay focused.”

Illya peered her head around the other side of the tree, her eye contact driving in that she was serious. Taiga groaned but got back to work. Their new manager was quite strict.

“Illya, you’re surprisingly motivated for a tree that’s not yours.” Shirou made faint laughter, intrigued by Illya’s sudden jolt of motivation.

“Well, I love the season and all that comes with it. But... Onii-chan, how many times do I have to tell you!?”

Shirou was very familiar with what came next, so he interjected before she finished her declaration.

“We’re all subject to queen Illya’s jurisdiction, and this is her tree just as much as it is mine, right?”

Illya’s face gleamed a radiant smile, but Shirou’s acknowledgment of their new management was in jest.

“Hey, wait! I’m the one who bought and dragged it over here! Let me take some credit!” Taiga whined, unsure why the owner was being decided between the two of them, rather than the one who purchased the tree in the first place.

“Nope. It’s mine now.” Synchronized in perfect harmony, Illya and Shirou’s voices recited the same line. Glaring at one another with sparks flying, they were both a bit selfish.

“Hey, Shirou… didn’t I just say that-” Illya questioned her subordinate’s resistance to being governed, though he had something different in mind.

“I wasn’t being serious! That’s your fault for not picking up. You can’t have ownership over people or their belongings, Illya.”

Her head still poking from the other side of the tree, she gave Shirou an emotionless stare.

“Ah, is that so? Then I guess it’s ‘our’ tree. Yaaay.”

Illya simply got back to work, partially disappointed by Shirou’s answer. It was a sarcastic expression of joy, but it was somewhat genuine as well. Regardless of ownership, she was still happy to be able to assist in the Emiya family’s Christmas tree. The festivity hadn’t graced her eyes in well over a decade, and she was glad to have the privilege of witnessing Shirou’s seasonal enthusiasm live.

“I’m surprised that Shirou would even claim ownership of such a thing. You should’ve seen him some years ago, Illya! He wouldn’t even let me bring up the idea of a tree after-”

“Fuji-nee.”

Shirou gave a cold glare to the teacher. Her bringing up the past was always with a benevolent attitude, but Shirou wanted to limit any potential accidents. Illya said nothing, but her interest became piqued. She was a very perceptive person and refused to believe that Shirou’s interruption was arbitrary.

“Alright…” Taiga, shot down for the eighth time tonight, decided to dampen her flames, just for the time being.

The Christmas tree looked like a half-drenched cat. One side, that being the bottom half, was filled and holistic. The top half, however, was still bare and bony. The tree was around six and a half feet tall from top to bottom, the average size for a purchasable Christmas tree. For its height, they had made great progress.

Around fifteen minutes passed, and they were beginning to reach the point (height) of no return. Illya noticed how much more work Taiga and Shirou were getting done compared to her, deciding she’d take a ‘break’.

“Taiga, Shirou, I’m going to break for a bit. You two can continue, don’t mind me.”

She didn’t want to ask for a stepping stool, ladder, or anything of the sort, as she felt it would be cripplingly embarrassing. She was willing to swallow her pride for many things, but this was not one of them. Silently watching from under the kotatsu was a much more favorable situation for her.

“No problem, Illya. Do you want more hot chocolate?”

Shirou was always thinking about Illya’s well-being before his own, but ironically, she valued his just a bit more.

“I’m fine. Don’t worry about me though, back to work!”

Illya smiled at the nearly complete tree, starting to reminisce about the last time she had seen one. They were warm memories, but there was a very cold gap in between. But at this moment, marveling at the people and memories around her, she nearly felt the eternal winter turning into a warm spring.

“Hey, Illya?”

Nearly.

“What, Taiga?”

Taiga almost felt bad about her next remark, but Illya’s snide demeanor proactively justified her next question.

“You’re not just sitting out right now because you can’t reach the parts we’re working on, _right_?” Taiga gazed at the other boisterous young woman in the room, a smug look on her face.

“Eh, no! Of course not, Taiga. I’m just, umm- cold! Shirou’s house is different from the castle.”

Illya’s cheeks blushed red like never before, as Taiga was spot on with her assumptions.

 _Taiga, you shouldn’t have said that._ Shirou thought to himself, understanding that attempting to interrupt a fight between deities was a fool’s errand.

“Under the kotatsu, with a thick sweater on? Are you sure, Illya? Ooh, my back is killing me so! If only there were somebody, anybody else to help poor Shirou assemble the Christmas tree!”

Taiga put on a sardonic dance, pretending that she was truly struggling to finish the job. Of course, she was about twenty years early for this act to be believable.

“Stupid Taiga, shut up already! It’s not my fault I can’t reach that high! Who cares about your long legs anyway, what type of lady your age is assembling a cheap Christmas tree on Christmas eve? Shouldn’t you have a man!?”

“AGHH! I’ll find him someday, Okay!? I’m still ripe as I was six years ago!”

They bounced back and forth, getting more and more distracted as time went on.

_They’re really going at it, huh._

“Wait, Illya. Why are you telling me that I don’t have a man on Christmas eve? Are you one to talk?”

Illya, in her fit of rage and laughter, still made a chess move. This was the question she was hoping Taiga would ask.

 _Uh oh._ Shirou was now a target.

Her eyes narrowed, and a wicked smile formed upon her face, Illya shifted her glance to the only other man in the room. He was faintly sweating, but not because of the physical labor. Holding back laughter, along with the fingers of her right hand expanded in front of her face, she boasted-

“I don’t know Taiga, _do_ I have a man on Christmas eve? I wonder~” Illya teased, hoping to elicit a response out of the deathly silent Shirou frantically working on the tree. She had many joys in her life, but teasing Shirou was easily at the top.

“Shirou!? I would’ve never expected-”

He sighed audibly, ready to end their little game. Taiga wasn’t fully aware of their relationship, but it wasn’t a secret either. But it wasn’t the time to discuss such a thing.

“Taiga. Illya. We’re almost done with the tree, can we do this another time?”

Fabricated tears in their eyes, they responded with a dejected “Fineee…” The two resonated for once in their lives, the both of them sad about Shirou cutting their fun short.

Taiga was familiar with Illya’s unmatched romantic aggression, but she also wasn’t sure if Shirou reciprocated. For now, she would just keep an eye out. Shirou and Taiga got back to work, the flames of determination flowing within them.

⸺

The three of them stared, mesmerized by the fruits of their combined effort.

“Woooow…” said Illya, still surprised at how far they made it. 

“I told you it’d look beautiful, Shirou!”

“I never doubted it, Fuji-nee.”

The tree stood much taller than any of them. Despite being a store-bought Christmas tree, created from metal, plastic, and other synthetic materials, it could almost be passed off as real. It was very thick and full near the stem, while the branches and bristles became more and more visible further out. The bristles were a beautiful white, which differed from the Christmas trees the Emiya household previously put up.

“Say, Fuji-nee. I wasn’t thinking about it before, but why the white bristles? Weren’t they always green?”

Taiga put a hand to her chin.

“Well, Kiritsugu always bought trees with green bristles, right?”

“That’s because those were real trees, Fuji-nee.”

Her didactic pose immediately became that of an exasperated one.

“S- so what? Who cares if it’s real? It still looks pretty!”

Taiga’s teacher budget only allowed for her to purchase such an expensive tree.

“I’m not saying there’s any problem with a fake tree, it was just bothersome to put together. Aside from that, it looks great.”

Illya stared at the two of them, simply listening.

_So Kiritsugu brought Christmas trees for you too, Shirou. It’s unsurprising he’d treat his other child in such a manner, but still._

She began to infer why Shirou interrupted Taiga earlier. Illya’s decade of isolation wasn’t something that they discussed very often, but Shirou made the correct assumption that there were no Christmas trees during that time. He wanted to ensure she didn’t have to hear what Kiritsugu did for him, and in turn, remember the lack of what was done for her.

_I’m smarter than that, Onii-chan. Not to mention, Taiga can’t keep a secret._

Illya, disappointed, found herself reminiscing about days long past. She had told herself that she would no longer meander on what was long gone, but this new information wasn’t something she could simply ignore. It was painful for her.

Calming down, a new thought entered her mind.

“Hey, Taiga? You didn’t forget to buy ornaments and lights, did you?”

Taiga’s arms slowly accelerated from a light shake to an earthquake.

“I- I- I- I...!”

“It’s okay, Taiga. We’ll be okay if we don’t have any. But if you still feel the need to get some decorations, you’d better hurry.”

Illya enjoyed her mental warfare with Taiga, but she was still undoubtedly capable of being genuine. As much as they jest, she didn’t know what she would do without Taiga. She was like a little sister to Illya.

“I’m getting the decorations no matter what, I’ll burst through the store windows if need be!! A Christmas tree without lights, ornaments… and the star!! How could it be a Christmas tree otherwise!?”

Taiga grabbed her coat and keys, rushing out of the door.

“Hey, Fuji-nee! Lock the door! And _try_ not to break into any stores!”

Shirou had developed a newfound fear of unlocked doors.

His fear was understandable, but he’d forgotten that both sources of his fear entered with the door still locked.

“What are you so worried about, _Onii-chan_? I’ll protect you if the door is locked or not.”

“You’ll also enter a home whether the door is locked or not, right?”

She giggled a cute laugh, “But of course, I have to make sure you’re okay, right?”

Illya’s definition of ‘checking in on somebody’ varied quite vastly compared to Shirou’s. She had no problem casually entering where she pleased, regardless of reasoning.

Shirou shrugged the evil thought from his mind, wondering about what they could do for the time being.

Before he could even suggest making any Christmas-themed treats, Illya had already gotten up from her comfortable position under the kotatsu.

“Illya? Where are you going?”

She opened his refrigerator, ignoring his previous question.

“Why is your fridge so empty?”

“There’s a large number of people that live here, Illya. And I’d lost track of the day, I didn’t recall that today was Christmas Eve.”

Shirou realized how big of a blunder this was, but he was still hoping that Sakura would be his saving grace. He hadn’t received a text back from her, but he also didn’t understand how a read receipt worked.

“Wow, Shirou! I didn’t know you had such a sweet tooth!” Illya took the cookie dough out of the fridge, happier about it herself than she was to tease Shirou about it.

“Not particularly. They’ve been there for some time, but I actually bought them for you, since _you’re_ the one with the sweet tooth.”

Illya spoke without realizing the truth of the matter. She was a petite girl but didn’t have much self-control with sweets. This had much to do with her upbringing, and in turn, flowed into her adult appetite. She had a very balanced diet, but passing up this opportunity was impossible for Illya.

“W- Well, what’s wrong with that? It’s not like it’s affecting me anyway…”

Illya squirmed like a fish out of water, unsure if Shirou was making any unsightly comments about her body.

_These jeans were a bit difficult to put on, but I don’t think that had anything to do with what I’ve been eating. Liz just suggested the wrong size, that’s it!_

She reassured herself, unable to wait on Shirou’s approval any longer.

“I’m not saying that you’re fat or anything! You having a sweet tooth is just a fact. I still love you just the way you are, Illya.”

Her back facing Shirou, and the cookie dough in her hands, she became even more flustered than earlier.

Slowly turning her head from the kitchen, her eyes met Shirou’s.

“Your phrasing is bad, but you almost say the right things sometimes, Onii-”

Illya’s eyes didn’t meet Shirou’s, because he wasn’t staring at her face.

“Didn’t you just say I wasn’t fat!?”

“It’s not fat! It’s maturity, Illya!”

She slammed the cookie dough onto the counter, grabbing a pan to put them on.

“You’re the worst, Onii-chan.”

“Wait, why can you assault me on impulse, but I can’t compliment you?”

She opened the bag of cookie dough, thinking about how many she’d put on.

“It’s different.”

“Illya, how is it different?” 

“Because I said so.”

Her eyes closed, and a smile wider than the living room across her face, this was the irrefutable logic that Shirou faced.

He simply got up and made his way over to the kitchen.

“Let me help with the cookies.”

“Hmm… that’d be fine, I guess.”

Illya wanted to try doing something for Shirou for a change, but this wasn’t a bad outcome either. Illya, atop a small stepping stool, and Shirou by her side, they began their sweet, sweet kitchen escapade.

⸺

A batch of twelve chocolate-chip cookies were in the oven, along with three personalized cookies, all with their own cute little deformities.

“Shirou, I still don’t understand why my eyes were so big on the cookie you made.”

“Is the troublesome girl who made an actual tiger cookie criticizing? You know she’ll hate that.”

“She’ll be okay. It’ll probably taste good anyway.”

Taiga Fujimura held much pride in her name and heritage, but her first name was a weak point for her. She was Taiga Fujimura, not Tiger Fujimura. Her name and vigorous nature were just coincidences. The three cookies were meant to represent Illya, Shirou, and Taiga. If she’d seen the two inaccurate, but human cookies and the third an actual tiger, she’d surely have a fit. This, of course, was Illya’s intention.

She laughed at the thought of Taiga erupting her eternal flames of wrath upon her, only to flash her most innocent look, and say ‘But Shirou made this one!’

Shirou silently shook his head, fully aware that her brain was up to no good.

It’d been around twenty minutes since Taiga’s departure, and they were expecting her to return soon. There wasn’t anything in particular that the two were doing, but it was a peaceful time nonetheless.

“ _Hey, Shirou-”_

Peaceful, to a certain extent.

Illya’s mind darted around many fleeting thoughts, and she was curious about what Taiga had said earlier regarding the Emiya family’s previous trees. Telling herself that it was neither the time nor place, she decided to pursue the answer to another question.

“ _Let’s pick up from where we left off.”_

She slowly crawled around the kotatsu, without a single unnecessary movement.

“Illya, you know that Fuji-nee will be back in a couple of minutes, right?”

Shirou, not losing a millisecond of eye contact, made a slow, strategic retreat.

“Says who? That’s your assumption, she could still be at checkout for all we know.”

The carnivorous woman continued her onslaught, not letting up an inch. The game, on the other hand, was losing space by the second.

“What if Fuji-nee came in? We’d surely get busted.”

She aggressively thrust a hand between Shirou’s knees, sick of his avoidance and excuses. Hitting the tatami mat, a loud _slam_ reverberated through the room.

“Shirou, you know I don’t care. What are you afraid of?”

They’d been intimate multiple times before, and their relationship was flourishing beautifully. Shirou just wasn’t comfortable being as openly romantic as Illya was.

Shirou’s back arched against the wall, and Illya’s scarf dangling between them, he had no route of escape. This was very different from earlier, and he needed to make a move. Despite his stubbornness in reciprocating love, Shirou was still a somewhat intelligent person. Their eyes locked in battle, he put his master scheme into play.

“Shirou, I hope you underst-”

“FUJI-NEE!?”

He diverted his glance for the first time since Illya had locked eyes with him. His face paled, and mouth agape, Shirou stared at the door.

“Eh-!?” Illya gasped, surprised that Taiga returned so soon.

Illya turned her head towards the living room’s entrance. She stared into the empty hallway, filled with confusion and embarrassment.

“Hey, Shirou! That’s not funny, nobody was mmph-!?”

At that moment, Shirou clasped his right hand around Illya’s face. He pulled her lips to his, disregarding her muffled screams of desperation. She was the dominant one in their relationship, but this didn’t mean Illya was incapable of being surprised herself. 

Regardless of their unexpected start, tuning to the other’s rhythm was simply a matter of time. Her hands gently caressing his face, she lightly gyrated on his leg. The warmth between their bodies bridged by the evanescent dance of tongue, the flow of time indefinitely halted.

Shirou’s left hand unconsciously drifted further down Illya’s back, her body jolting in response.

“-Ah, Ah… Wait, Onii-chan, I need breath….”

Illya was a very boastful woman but wasn’t able to keep up with Shirou once he got like this. A thin line of saliva fluttered between them, love still abundant in the air. 

“Are you satisfied?”

“...No.”

“Well, I feel like Fuji-nee will be here soon. C’mon, let’s stop for now.”

Illya thought to herself, _Weren’t you the one who started this?,_ but kept quiet.

Time began to flow after its temporary standstill, and their surroundings became apparent once more. The thin link of saliva broke, and the bodies that were so delicately linked up until now, slowly separated. So slowly in fact, that they didn’t notice the housebreaker behind them.

⸺

“Hmmmmm? Growing up, huh, Shirou!? Not on my watch!”

Taiga hadn’t seen the passionate embrace they were intertwined in beforehand, but the way they separated from one another wasn’t without its implications.

Still close to one another, her legs rested on his lap. She turned her head, shamelessly still attached to her lover.

“Taiga, don’t be jealous. That’s a bad look for you. Besides, aren’t Onii-chan and I always like this?”

“Illya-!”

Shirou attempted to interject, but it was a futile attempt.

“Jealous? I told you, devil child! My mate will come around soon! And that’s irrelevant to you deviants in questionable positions every time I walk in!”

Taiga’s arms swung around through the air, unable to properly deflect Illya’s offense.

“Taiga, don’t damage the decorations!”

Illya got up from Shirou’s lap, dashing over to steal the bags from Taiga’s hands.

Taiga, around a head taller than Illya, held the bags out of her reach with ease.

Illya’s hands clenched and her cheeks puffed, she made an inexplicable sound of pouting.

“Hmm? Does the devil child want to see the decorations I bought?”

“Taiga, the cookies Shirou and I made are burning! Look!” Illya pointed her left index finger towards the den of creation.

“Wait, cookies!? BURNING!?”

Like the alignment of stars, a loud _beep_ was heard from the kitchen indicating that they were ready, not burnt. Taiga lightly (heavily) dropped the bags to the floor, in desperate need of saving the freshly baked cookies.

Illya’s eyes glistened at the many adornments that Taiga had bought. Bells, canes, and ribbons aplenty, all accentuated with grandiose patterns.

 _Her fashion sense is a bit boring, but she sure knows how to decorate._ Illya continued to shuffle through the many ornaments, feeling that she wouldn’t be done until every single one was overturned.

“Illya, can it wait until we’re putting them on the tree?”

“Nope.”

At that point, Shirou knew that questioning her further would’ve been a lost cause, so he instead fell into his own desire. Opening the other bag that Taiga dropped, he found an electric star, along with some white lights to wrap around the tree.

“Fuji-nee, how do the cookies look?”

“Either of you. Lead me to the person that made a tiger cookie to represent me, this is blasphemous!”

The two of them, scattered in a battlefield full of ornaments and lights, pointed at one another. This was the usual activity of the Emiya residence.

⸺

After extinguishing Taiga’s flames that had no clear goal nor target, they let her present all the decorations she purchased.

Or at least, the decorations that hadn’t already been ravaged.

“And… the star! Beautiful, right?”

Taiga lifted the star slightly above her head, a wire dangling by her wayside. It was mainly white, with red and gold tints inside.

“Pass, Taiga. There’s something I’d like to see.” Taiga, despite having animosity for the dog-signaling way in which Illya asked for something that _she_ bought, reluctantly placed it into Illya’s open hand.

Illya held the star between her hands, intrigued by its peculiar color scheme.

“Hey, Taiga. Does this star light-”

Before she was able to finish her sentence, Taiga plugged the star into a nearby outlet. It shined a brilliant white, with bright red highlights. The star had various inner indentations, projecting golden rings in a rotating manner after being turned on.

“Amazing, Fuji-nee. It’s kinda like a disco ball. I like it.” Shirou was enchanted by such a beautiful star.

Illya sat, paralyzed with the star in her hands.

_No, Shirou. This is nothing like a disco ball. The colors of this star are much, much more grotesque._

“Right, Shirou! It was so unique compared to the rest, I just had to get it!”

_It’s terrible._

Illya couldn’t stop herself from trembling. The color scheme, red infractions of light, and even the golden rings of light that oscillated, only made her think of one thing.

She was long removed from her waking days of hell within the winter castle, but repression wasn’t a mechanism that allowed her to fully conquer her trauma. It was a temporary fix, that allowed her to begrudgingly continue life, to fulfill her ‘purpose’.

Illya no longer felt the pain of the Holy Grail War, nor did she resent Shirou for his circumstances. On the contrary, it was his blind kindness that allowed her to thaw her frozen heart. This didn’t stop her from feeling disgusted by the shockingly similar features to the formal dress. Her feeling this way wasn’t a conscious decision, but the amalgamation of her past. The will of the integral Einzbern, Justeaze Lizrich von Einzbern, was instilled into all homunculi that came after her. Alone in birth and alone in death, they all felt the weight of her burden, the wretched card of fate that was dealt to them. Alongside her will, hundreds of years of collective knowledge came along with it. A will, an entirely separate ego, and a sacrificial one-way destiny, all placed on the frail shoulders of a girl who never asked for it.

“Illya? Are you okay?” Shirou could see Illya’s hands shaking.

_It’s okay. That’s not something I have to worry about anymore._

“I’m fine, sorry. It’s a very pretty star.”

A synthetic smile painted itself across her face, not wanting to ruin their mood. Illya was very familiar with Shirou’s self-sacrificial tendencies, but she also was no stranger to being selfless. This was the second time she stifled her true emotions, for her proposed ‘greater good’ of maintaining a positive mood.

Both Taiga and Shirou stared at Illya, fully aware that she wasn’t ‘just fine’. With a wordless glance between one another, they agreed on a quick idea.

“Illya, Shirou and I can finish off the tree decorations, don’t worry about it!”

“Taiga, no. I still want to help out, don’t worry about me.”

She placed the star onto the table, stretching her arms after sitting for so long.

“It’s just ornaments, lights, and the star, right? We can all play our part in that.” Illya said, refusing to back down.

_I’ll place the star on top. Somehow._

“You’re right. Well then, let’s get back to work!”

Shirou, enthused as ever, actually found himself excited by this mundane, long, drawn-out process. Taiga couldn’t help but stifle her laughter, receiving a threatening glare in return.

Illya and Taiga took the job of evenly placing the ornaments, while Shirou wrapped the lights. They got in the way of one another from time to time, but it was an enjoyable time nonetheless.

“Taiga, these are some beautiful embellishments for the tree.”

Illya hooked a red and gold ball through one of the tree’s bristles, surprised by how classy the decorations were.

“Well, of course they are. I was the one who picked the ornaments back then, it only makes sense that I still am.”

“Yes, yes. Certainly.”

Illya nodded her head, her affirmation slightly sarcastic.

“Now if only your wardrobe reflected your ornament choices…”

“Huh? Did you say something, Illya?”

“Who, me? Taiga, what are you talking about?”

She put on her best poker face, pretending that Taiga was undoubtedly delusional.

“How are the lights going, Shirou?” Illya, somewhat bored with the chore of placing ornaments, decided to interrupt someone else’s work rather than focusing on her own.

“Fine, I’m just having to untangle them…”

The situation that followed after Taiga’s ‘tiger’ cookie was a violent one. Opening the decorations before they started on the tree wasn’t such a great idea. This, along with Taiga’s rage, led to a living room floor akin to a war zone.

“Want some help?”

Illya walked over to Shirou, leaning next to him amongst the chaos of wires and Christmas ornaments.

“I’ve got it Illya, don’t worry about me.”

“Hmm, that so, Mr. superhero?”

With this, Illya got the reaction she was looking for.

“Superhero? What are you bringing that up for?”

He looked up from the tedious job, meeting Illya’s eyes. She was slightly arched over, having stared at him for quite a while now.

“I just wanted some attention, maybe.”

She beamed an innocent smile, one that truly befitting of her actions this time.

“Well, you got some. But Illya, we’re in the last stretch. Stay focused.” He said, quickly getting back to work.

Discontent with his response, she walked over to the place she last touched the star. It hadn’t moved an inch, though Taiga had long since unplugged it.

She sat down, staring at the delicate star between her fingers. It was a very intricate design, absolutely worthy of praise. Illya, despite having limited experience with the world around her, was very knowledgeable about small details like this.

A Christmas tree’s anatomy is a very deliberate concept. A typical tree was around six and a half feet tall and featured various ornaments and decorations that complemented the bristles of the tree. Lights were artistically wrapped to give a further flair to both the tree and its adornments, capitalizing off of their reflective texture. All of these were integral components of a Christmas tree, but not a single one compared to the importance of the star. A tree could be wrapped in the most beautiful lights and ribbons, but still not compare to a tree with one, single shining star. The structure of a Christmas tree made one’s eyes naturally drift towards the top, similar to human beings. Even amongst beings beneath humans, eye contact was one of the strongest forms of communication. A Christmas tree’s star was the most crucial part, and that’s why people developed a tradition of letting their children place the star atop the tree. The star had biblical allusions, representative of a shining hope for humanity, a fulfilled prophecy.

Illya had long since abandoned her attachment to a Christmas tree’s star, but staring at one for the first time in so many years, she couldn’t help but remember what was done for her.

Eight years. She lived with her loving mother and father this long, unbeknownst to the sudden turn her life would take. She recalled the many times that Kiritsugu would lift her high upon his shoulders, allowing her to adorn the tree with the final, paramount decoration. It shined an iridescent white, with red and gold being its secondary colors. This was no ordinary star, the way it shined wasn’t possibly replicable by any man-made star. It was the star of a Christmas tree, but it was constructed of ether. This allowed for it to shine like no other, truly a festive capstone of the Einzbern castle.

Year after year, surrounded by a family warm enough to combat the freezing winter, Illya was always the one to place the star atop their tree. It was a very special tradition to her, but there were no holidays in a castle only of homunculi. The last bit of humanity gone, never to return from Fuyuki, nor to Illya’s heart, she temporarily released her human desires as well.

_I have to put this on the tree, there’s no other way._

Shirou, having long finished untangling the clump of disaster, once again found Illya in a deep trance staring at the star.

“Illya, it’s fine. I’ll put the star on the tree.”

He reached his hand towards the star in her hands, misinterpreting her true feelings on the matter.

“No, Shirou! I’ll put it on, you don’t have to worry.”

She pulled the star away, hugging it against her bosom.

“Then why were you staring at it with such a sad, despondent expression?”

“Ah-”

She averted her eyes, attempting to combat her tear ducts from contradicting her mouth.

Shirou knew that she was similar to him, wanting to wordlessly take on the brunt of her loved one’s problems. She wasn’t honest about her feelings, which is why Shirou misunderstood the message she was trying to tell him. It was no lie that Illya wanted to place the star upon the tree, but the very sight of the star brought back many bittersweet memories.

“Illya, it’s no problem for me, really. It’s just a star.”

_No, stupid Shirou. It’s not ‘just a star’. It’s more than that._

“I don’t care. Once you and Taiga are finished with the ornaments and lights, I’m placing the star on the tree, not you.”

“Then why-”

Taiga, having just finished placing the ornaments, burst into their conversation.

“Troublesome children, what’s going on over here?”

 _You’re the child here, Taiga._ Illya was just barely able to keep that _only_ a thought.

“Shirou doesn’t understand that I genuinely want to put the star on the tree.”

“Illya’s confused, and I offered to place the star, so she wouldn’t have to worry about it.”

They both glanced at one another out of the corner of their eyes, their emotions and intentions even more misunderstood.

Taiga nodded her head a few times, her eyes shut tightly. “Hmm, hmm…”

A bout of silence followed, immediately broken by the aggressive tiger’s solution.

“Well, if my memory serves me properly, didn’t Kiritsugu let you put the star on the tree back then, Shirou? It would be fine if you let Illya do it for a change, right?”

Shirou hadn’t forgotten this. He was the youngest person in the house, and despite his father’s weakening body, Shirou was no problem for him to temporarily lift. Even if Kiritsugu hadn’t been able to physically lift him, he would’ve done anything to let Shirou place the star. On that day long ago, the burn wounded orphan wasn’t the person saved, but the man who abandoned everything was. Letting Shirou place the star on the tree was the least that he could do. All of this coming back to him, Shirou finally understood that while he wanted to protect Illya, he also had his own selfish motives.

Coming to terms with this, he made the decision any empathetic human being would, and attempted to apologize.

“Illya, I’m sorry, I-”

Unfortunately, it was much too late.

⸺

Shirou could only watch, as the star he fought so hard for was shoved into his chest, and the most important person in his life ran out of the room, crying.

_Fuck, not again!_

“I don’t care anymore!” She yelled from the hallway, through the back door.

Her words gripped at his heart in a manner he’d never felt before. He could only imagine what she was feeling.

Illya’s words and true motives didn’t always match, so Shirou’s suspicions weren’t completely unjustified. Nonetheless, his afterthoughts didn’t change the situation that he currently found himself in.

_Kiritsugu must’ve done something similar for her, that’s the only way her reaction could make sense. That’s the type of human he was, putting his children first. What I don’t understand is… what specifically happened over those ten years?_

The two didn’t discuss the intricate details regarding what happened on a day-to-day basis. If there were any holidays, nor if she ever found any forms of peace during her years of solitude. There was an unspoken agreement along the lines of ‘that was the past, this is present’, that they somewhat followed. This didn’t mean that Illya and Shirou never spoke of what happened in their respective lives, but Shirou was under the assumption that she didn’t enjoy speaking about such mundane topics. His assumption wasn’t incorrect, but this had to do with the fact that Illya’s repression was temporary patching rather than deep healing. 

_‘What’s not seen to the eye, nor heard to the ear doesn’t exist.’_

Subconsciously excluding traumatic events never worked for Illya, Taiga’s unintentional onslaught of blurts and ornament choices was evident of this.

_It doesn’t matter though, I was still being selfish. I didn’t want her to do anything she didn’t want to, but I still wanted to put the star on the tree._

Shirou swallowed any of his lasting desire and immediately got on the move.

“Fuji-nee, I’ve got it. Could you wrap the lights for me?” 

Taiga, her eyes wide open, shot Shirou a warm smile. If nobody else could subdue Illya, he definitely could.

“Sure, Shirou. Go get her.”

He smiled back, running full speed to the only place he knew she’d go. She relentlessly chastised how old and decrepit the storehouse looked and felt, but this never stopped her from always gravitating there.

_I’ll be there soon, Illya._

⸺

_‘There are no holidays, festivities, or seasons for the automata. For them, only one purpose is necessary. Anything extraneous in achieving said goal won’t be tolerated.’_

Her back against the cold storehouse’s wall, the elder Einzbern’s words echoed throughout Illya’s mind. She refused to accept high decree when she heard it, but her very existence was a product of the Einzbern’s purpose. She was the second oldest person in the room, but the modifications to her body didn’t reflect that. Illya was at least twenty centimeters shorter than both Shirou and Taiga.

_‘You’re not just sitting out right now because you can’t reach the parts we’re working on, right?’_

Taiga wasn’t aware of Illya’s past, and it was very normal for them to jab at one another. Taiga was the grandma, and Illya was the devil child. This was how they spoke to one another. She had no malicious intent, but she also didn’t understand the significance of her statement.

 _I couldn’t put the star on the tree even if I wanted to._ She thought to herself, letting her tears flow once more.

Truthfully, Illya didn’t care for being the one to put the star on the tree itself. Even if the cold winter castle had a Christmas tree, it wouldn’t have mattered to her. What Illya longed for during that time wasn’t a sparkling star for a Christmas tree, but the warmth from her family.

The warmth of the family that Shirou felt during that same time. The family that she lost. It wasn’t a conscious decision that he made, being orphaned from a young age. Shirou didn’t ask Kiritsugu to be his foster father, but Illya didn’t ask him to leave either.

_It wasn’t his fault, but why do I feel so… Envious?_

Shirou knew she wouldn’t take lightly to knowing that while he was indulging, she was suffering. This is why he silenced Taiga so, but she blindly spoke regardless. In her whirlpool of emotions, she became so enveloped in her cold, lonely days, that she couldn’t see the person in front of her.

“Eh!? Shirou?”

“Hey, Illya. I knew you’d be here.”

Her arms wrapped around her knees, and faint tear streaks across her face, she swiftly brought her sweater sleeves to her face, hoping that Shirou hadn’t seen her crying. He’d been there for longer than she knew, but he said nothing.

“What do you want, stupid Shirou...”

Unsuccessfully wiping the tears from her face, she stared back at the man illuminated by the moonlight.

“Illya, I’m sorry. I’ve said it too many times today, but I mean it this time. I won’t ask you what happened during those years, but I didn’t realize how selfish I was being. It wasn’t fair to you. Forgive me.”

“And? I wouldn’t be able to put the star on the tree anyway, remember what Taiga said? Even then, it’s just a star. It doesn’t matter that much-!?”

Shirou placed his left hand under her calves, along with his right firmly upon her back. He lifted the stubborn girl from her icy prison, princess-carrying her back to the living room, disregarding her plethora of creative, wordy insults.

 _Oh, that one’s new. Ow, don’t hit me there. A bumbling what!?_ Shirou shouldered the verbal (and physical) assault because he knew Illya.

Her high-pitched screams of ‘hate’ meant that this was what she wanted. Her face was blushing, but her mouth was a relentless machine gun. Shirou simply laughed, very familiar with the type of person he was dealing with.

⸺

Taiga had just finished wrapping the lights when her two favorite deviants made their way back to the living room. Illya’s arms were no longer lightly pounding against Shirou’s chest but lovingly wrapped around his neck. This didn’t stop her from continuing her vocal offense, but Taiga could understand just by looking at them they’d made up.

Taiga wordlessly passed the star to Shirou, and after some physical and emotional repositioning, they were ready to put the star on the tree.

“Are you sure about this, Onii-chan? I _really_ don’t care anymore.”

If Shirou knew nothing else, he knew for certain that was a lie.

“If I wasn’t sure, why are you sitting on my forearms with the star in hand, Illya?”

Her hidden smile creaking through, she finally surrendered.

“Hmph, well, if you say so.”

He lifted her as high as possible, the star in her hands. She weighed a little over thirty-four kilograms, which wasn’t much of a problem for Shirou.

Illya’s hands delicately adorned the tree with the magical decoration, bringing together all the other parts of the tree.

All that was left in their Christmas expedition was to turn on the lights, bringing a subtle close, but a new beginning to Christmas at the Emiya household. Shirou plugged in the star and lights, whilst Taiga turned off the living room lights.

“Really, Fuji-nee?”

“It’s important!”

The extension cord was turned on, but the power to the outlet was off. Taiga made sure to turn off both switches, so they could all be in a warm, happy positioning for viewing the tree for the first time.

Shirou, holding Illya’s cookie she made for him, along with Illya holding the cookie he made for her, they sat ready under the kotatsu. Taiga, still unenthused by the unsightly cookie that Illya made, held it in her open hand regardless.

“Ready?”

Illya and Shirou nodded their heads in sync. Taiga hit the switch, diving under an open side of the kotatsu.

“Uooohhhh…”

The three of them reveled at the tree. From a mound of poles, wires, and ornaments to the spectacle they were watching now, new life breathed into the living room.

The white lights blinked intermittently, each one uniquely reflecting off of a different ornament. The lights were wrapped in an asymmetrical pattern, allowing their beauty to shine differently on each side of the tree. As stunning as they were, only one thing was keeping their eyes glued. The star, coruscating an exquisite white, gold, and red, was unmistakably the highlight of the tree. It oscillated various patterns, putting on a light show in their living room.

Illya also couldn’t help but stare. She’d never seen a light so beautiful, and she couldn’t explain why. The times before were extravagant, but this was a completely different feeling. A star so dazzling couldn’t have been found in a mere department store. But the light Illya’s eyes were plastered to wasn’t the plastic star atop the tree, but the new family surrounding her. Illya’s heart belonged to Shirou, as did his. But Illya still loved her partner-in-crime, Taiga Fujimura. The perfect star for a Christmas tree was never found in any cardboard box. It was right there beside her, Illya’s new family.

⸺

Eventually, the other residents of the Emiya household came back, all marveling at the beauty of the tree. Sakura had gotten Shirou’s text message, and made sure to bring a good deal of food home to restock the empty refrigerator. Shirou got to work on the Emiya family’s biggest meal yet, watching Sakura’s astonishment at Illya’s new look from the kitchen. Saber demanded a specific dish from Shirou, while Rider walked back to her room. Rin silently stared at the star on the tree, wondering if it was worth any money. Taiga detailed to Sakura the struggle it was to get this far on the tree, but also how happy she was to do it.

“Shirou and I couldn’t have done it with Illya’s help! This devil child is good for something!” Taiga screamed, ready for battle.

 _Here they go again._ Shirou thought to himself, ready to tune it out once more.

⸺

Nothing in Fuyuki City significantly changed from earlier that morning. It was still a cold, wintry December. The sun had fallen, and there were fewer people out. Maybe a new star placed atop a budget Christmas tree, and perhaps a few degrees colder outside. Determined, yet quiet footsteps pattered across tatami mats. It was a normal December night, no different from the last. Only now, the snow that melted so quickly, was now harmoniously sticking to the ground.


End file.
